Wall panel



R. M. BROWN WALL PANEL Filed March 13, 1926 .....H.|H...l.|....

0 l lll Pl II WUIHMHII- Il.1L

June 14 1927.

ing vfall, whereby the panel Patented .lune 14, 1927.

UNITED STATES ANT ROBERT M. BROWN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF FORIY-FIVE ONE-HUNj DREDTHS 'lO ALEXANDER POW, 0F

GLENCOE, ILLINOIS.

WALL PANEL.

Application filed March 1a, 192e. serial No. 94,460.

This invention relates to Wall panels, and more particularly to a panel adapted to be removably secured in an opening' in a .vall which permits access to parts such as plumbing; or electric fittings Whichare housed in a recess in the wall.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide such a panel, the appearance of which will conform to that of the surroundobtrusive and more sightly.

Anotl'ier object is to provide such a panel 4which may be removably secured in place in the opening, the means of securing` being simple and easy to use. Still another object to provide such a panel in which the outer surface is a layer of mortar or plaster of the same `general characteristics the mortar or plaster used in the construction oit the surrcundiiigg` Wall, and a further object is to provide Vmeans for reinforcing such a layer so that it will not be easily broken, andinay be removed a unit Without the necessity of extreme care in liainfllingu Other objects and advantages will become apparent When the following specification is considered :in connection with the accompanying` drawings wherein l have illustrate ed a selected embodiment of my invention and in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a Wall having,` an opening,` therein closed by ahpanel of my improved construction, certain parts thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate the structure, and

Fig'. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a Wall indicated at 5 of the usual construction having faces 5 and 5b of mortaror plaster or the like, is provided with an opening 6 to permitaccess to fittings or the like which are housed in a recess or chamber indicated at Within the Wall. rlhe openingl 6 is closed by a panel 8 having a front face of appearance similar to that of the appearance of the Wall 5.

The panel 8 comprises a sheet metal pan 9 having;` a back portion 10 and edge portions 1l. The pan 9 is filled with a supply of plaster or mortar 12 of characteristics similar to those of the plaster or mortar used in the surrounding Wall 5. In order to retain the filler 12 inthe pan, I prefer to provide a sheet of meta-l lath or the like, 13, an-

rendered le: s

choredto the pan in any suitable Way to which the plaster will be bound in the usual manner. To further anchor the filler in the pan and to strengthen the front corner edges or the panel, l prefer to turn the front edge of the edge member 1l inwardly as indiated at 14. vThis turned over front corner edge obviously strengthens the trame around the panel and also protects the front edges off theA panel against breakage, and is thereM fore, of considerable value. One convenient Way of securing the sheet of metal lath 13 in the pan, is to provide turned flanges 15 which are provided by merely cuttin` the back 10 of the pan and )ending` a portion thereof inwardly, as illust-rated. Such flanges also serve to stiften the back and thereby strengthen the panel. A suitable number of holes may be punched in the flanges 15 and tie Wires 16 passed therethrough and through the metal lath and the ends twisted together so as to effec tively bind the lath in place. Panels of this class are ordinarily located near the floor, and the opening' therefore, usually intersects the extends around the bottom of the Walls. ln order to render the opening as large as porsible, and to permit full access to the chamber, l prefer to cut the base-board 18 as indicated at 17-17 in line with the Side edges of the opening in the Wall so that tie pertion of the base-board 18 betvveenthe cuts will be removable with the panel. lnorder to secure this removable portion or" the baseboa-rd to the panel, l provide a strip of wood 19 embedded in the Vfiller of the piltnel to which the base-board 18 andr moulding; 2O thereover may be secured in the usual manner, i.. e., by nailing, as indicated at 21-21 In order to prevent breaking' of the Wall 5 adjacent the opening' 6, l provide a frame 22 preferably of metal, Which extends en tirely around the opening.- This frame 22 is provided with a rear flange 23 and an inturned front flange 24, and is fastened in place by any suitable means, for example, by nails, passing through apertures in flange 23 and into the Wood frame surrounding the openingl as indicated at 23. rlihe inturned front flange 24 is very advantageous in that it strengthens the fra-me 22 and protects the plaster around the liront edges ot the wall opening against chipping. or breaking; The panel may conveniently be held in place by a number ot in-.

base-board 18 whichv lOO preferably disposed one in each up ser corner and having threaded engagement With a bracket 27 secured to the back flange 23 oil the opening frame A collar 28 is secured to each of the screws 26 adjacent the back l0 ol the panel by suitable means such as a pin 29. lt Will be obvious that when the screw is unscreived so that it is disengaged from the bracket 27, the collar 28 will r cause the panel to move outwardly so that it may be gripped at its edges and pulled out oit the opening. l also lind it convenient `to taper theedges ll of thepanel as indicated so as to `permit easier insertion and removal thereof. l

l am aware that various changes in the form and construction of the parts may be made Without departing' from the essence oi" thevinvention and l therefore reserve the right to malte all such cliianges as tall Within the scope ot the following claims.

Vl claim as my invention:

l. The combinationV o't a Wall having an opening,` therein, a trame Jor said opening, meansifor anchoring said. :trame in place, and a panel for closing said opening comprising a :trame having an edge member and a back member, a filler of Wall material in saidtrame, neanstor anchoring said filler in said traine and means operable by one movement-to secure said panel in place and operable by another movement to eject said panel :trom said opening.

2. In combination With a Wall having ar chamber therein adapted to house certain littings and an openingin one side ot the Wall to permit access to the iittine's, a panel adapted to close said opening and comprising a sheet metal pan having` edge and back members, a filler of Wall material in the pan, means for stillening the baclr of the pan, said means also being adapted to anchor said filler in the pan and means for removably securing said panel in said opening.

3. The combination ot a plaster wall or the like having an opening therein, a frame for said opening permanently anchored in place and having an edge thereof adjacent the front edge `of said opening' and turned outwardly so as to serve as a plaster retaining means, and also so as to protect said front edge against breakage, and a closure for said oliening; comprising a panel. ot Wall material adapted to lit inside ot said open-inn` so as to presenta substantially flush wall surface, Vsaid panel having a frame extending; around the periphery thereof, an edge or said trame-being' disposed adyacent the front edgeot the panel and having` its outer a panel for closingl said opening,` and adapted to be set therein so as to present substantially 'flush Wall surface, means for removably securing said` panel in place including a threaded member rotatably mounted in the pane-l but held therein' againstlongitudinal movement, and a part secured to the Wall adapted to be threadedly engaged by said threaded men'iber.

5. The combination ot a Vplaster v'all or the like, having an, opening` therein, a iframe vfor said opening, means ior permanently ancliorlng said trame inplace, an outivardlyV rebent outer edge on said trame serving to protect the edge of the Wall around said opening and to retain the plaster in place, and a panel tor closingl sai-d opening;` comprising a receptacle havingV a plaster' filler and including` a frame having an inwardly rebent edge serving to protect the front edge or the panel, and to retain the liller in the receptacle.

6. rl"he combination of a plaster or like wall having an opening,` therein for permitting' access to fittings disposed Within the Wall, an opening frame extending,- around the inside ot said opening and permanently 'fastened in place, said trame having means at its outer edge `for retaining,` the plaster oi the Wall in place and for protecting the edge of the Wall around the opening` Yfrom breakage, and a removable access panel mounted in said opening and comprising a receptacle having a plaster filler so as to simulate the appearance of the surrounrhnQ,` vva l, said receptacle including` an edge trame provided with means at its outer ede'e tor retaining the filler in the receptacle and 'tor protecting the edge of the panel against breakage, said opening trame and said edge trame having separable interlocking means on complementary sides adapted to position the panel Within the opening along that side, and means for positioningl the opposite side of the panel in the openinO, comprising means operable by one movement to lock the panel in place and by another movement to release the panel and to partially eject same from the opening.

7. rlhe combination of a Wall having` an opening` therein, a panel t'or closing said opening and adapted to be set therein so as to present a substantially flush Wall surface and means for removably securing said panel in place, including means operable by one movement, to lock the panel in place and by another movement to release and to partially eject the panel from the opening.

ROBERT M. BRUWN.

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